Page 67 of To Kill a King
Tilting her head to the side, she peeked at him from the corner of her eyes. “Why not? What did Zadé do that was so terrible?”
He opened his mouth, then hesitated. “I think that’s something she should answer.”
Aliya sighed. Zadé had made it plenty clear she wasn’t going to discuss it any more than Lindir seemed willing to.
Ahead of them, the tree-lined path gave way to a clearing. Water burbled from a fountain and a carpet of soft moss spread under Aliya’s feet. Rectangular boxes of white sand broke up the green, with intricate patterns drawn in several of them. Fountains at all four corners of the glade trickled streams into crystalline channels and over artificial waterfalls, making pleasant background noise. Colored fish the size of her arm swam in the troughs. The midday sunlight danced between the leaves of the trees overhead, reflecting off the liquid’s surface. It was like a fairy godmother had waved a magic wand over her mother’s beloved Zen Garden.
“Wow.”
Lindir peeked over his shoulder at her and smiled. He reached back and guided her forward. “I thought you might like it. This is our place for meditation and relaxation.” He showed her to one of the boxes. Picking up a small broom, he swept the design away, replacing it with one he drew using a pole.
She knelt, drawing a finger through the soft sand. The granules parted before her, caressing her skin in a mild tickling sensation. Standing, she picked a few grains from underneath her nails, letting them fall back into the sandbox.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“You and the mountain elf.” He swallowed. “You’re not…together, are you?”
“What? No.” She paused. Were they? They hadn’t had any time alone to talk about it. “Well…I don’t think so?”
He chuckled. “Are you asking me?”
“No, of course not.”
Pink and blue fins flashed through a beam of sunlight. She turned, glad for the distraction. “Giant goldfish!”
“Close. This one’s a Shubunkin—it’s like a koi, but with an indigo base color.”
She blinked. Fish breeds had never been her strength or interest, but these were beautiful. She reached out and brushed it as it swam by.
Lindir stood and offered his hand. “Come with me.”
She allowed him to pull her to her feet, but he held onto her hand when she would have let go.
He led her over a bridge covered with ivy and little blue flowers. The white stone of the footpath arched over the water and ended at a wall of weeping willows. Brushing the dangling branches out of her way, he stepped aside, letting her pass.
“Oh, wow!” A waterfall tall enough for her to walk under fed a pristine pond within the protective circle of vegetation. Two fish bigger than her arm circled each other in the middle. Aliya fell to her knees at the water’s edge.
Lindir sat beside her. “This is my favorite part of the garden.” He nodded to the pool. “Their names are Ilthian and Anora.”
“Moon and Sun.” Appropriate, with their white and orange coloring.
“Most people come to the gardens in the early morning or late evening. But no one ever sits here. I figured I’d show you. As Lady Brightleaf’s new apprentice, I think you might need a place to unwind at the end of the day.” He gave her a knowing look.
Her gut chilled. “Uh, oh. What am I in for?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, really. She hasn’t taken a pupil in my lifetime. But based on how she runs our family, I suspect she’ll be a demanding taskmaster.”
Great. Well, nothing worth doing came easily. She would put in as much work as required to master her magic. She flashed him a quick grin. “Thanks for the warning.”
Her gaze caught his and he grinned.
She waited for the telltale butterflies to start fluttering in her gut, like they did when Elessan smiled at her. She held back a frown when they remained still.
It wasn’t that he was unattractive, or not a good guy. Lindir was really sweet, with an innocence about him that reminded Aliya of herself before she’d married a serial killer.
He just lacked the chemistry that sparked between her and Elessan.